Ines Cherkaoui was supported by a Diabetes UK studentship (BDA 18/0005934) to GAR, who also thanks the Wellcome Trust for an Investigator Award (212625/Z/18/Z), UKRI MRC for a Programme grant (MR/R022259/1), Diabetes UK for Project grant (BDA16/0005485), CRCHUM for start-up funds, Innovation Canada for a John R. Evans Leader Award (CFI 42649), NIH-NIDDK (R01DK135268) for a project grant, and CIHR, JDRF for a team grant (CIHR-IRSC:0682002550; JDRF 4-SRA-2023-1182-S-N). Camille Dion and Dr Harry Leitch for their help with human hiPSCs generation and culture, the NIHR Imperial BRC (Biomedical Research Centre) Organoid facility, London.

Differentiating Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Pancreatic β-Cells

<ol>
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R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+a+pluripotent+cell+line+from+early+mouse+embryos+cultured+in+medium+conditioned+by+teratocarcinoma+stem+cells.">Isolation of a pluripotent cell line from early mouse embryos cultured in medium conditioned by teratocarcinoma stem cells.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 78 (12), 7634-7638 (1981).</li><li>Nair, G. G., Tzanakakis, E. 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R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+insulin-producing+pancreatic+&#946;-cells+from+multiple+human+stem+cell+lines.">Generation of insulin-producing pancreatic &#946;-cells from multiple human stem cell lines.</a> Nature Protocols. 16 (9), 4109-4143 (2021).</li><li>Jiang, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+insulin-producing+islet-like+clusters+from+human+embryonic+stem+cells.">Generation of insulin-producing islet-like clusters from human embryonic stem cells.</a> Stem Cells. 25 (8), 1940-1953 (2007).</li><li>Sui, L., Leibel, R. L., Egli, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pancreatic+&#946;-cell+differentiation+from+human+pluripotent+stem+cells.">Pancreatic &#946;-cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells.</a> Current Protocols in Human Genetics. 99 (1), e68 (2018).</li><li>Sui, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reduced+replication+fork+speed+promotes+pancreatic+endocrine+differentiation+and+controls+graft+size.">Reduced replication fork speed promotes pancreatic endocrine differentiation and controls graft size.</a> JCI Insight. 6 (5), 141553 (2021).</li><li>Veres, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Charting+cellular+identity+during+human+in+vitro+&#946;-cell+differentiation.">Charting cellular identity during human in vitro &#946;-cell differentiation.</a> Nature. 569 (7756), 368-373 (2019).</li><li>Rutter, G. A., Georgiadou, E., Martinez-Sanchez, A., Pullen, T. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metabolic+and+functional+specialisations+of+the+pancreatic+&#946;-cell:+gene+disallowance,+mitochondrial+metabolism+and+intercellular+connectivity.">Metabolic and functional specialisations of the pancreatic &#946;-cell: gene disallowance, mitochondrial metabolism and intercellular connectivity.</a> Diabetologia. 63 (10), 1990-1998 (2020).</li><li>Micallef, S. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=INS(GFP/w)+human+embryonic+stem+cells+facilitate+isolation+of+in+vitro+derived+insulin-producing+cells.">INS(GFP/w) human embryonic stem cells facilitate isolation of in vitro derived insulin-producing cells.</a> Diabetologia. 55 (3), 694-706 (2012).</li><li>Finch, P. W., Rubin, J. S., Miki, T., Ron, D., Aaronson, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+KGF+is+FGF-related+with+properties+of+a+paracrine+effector+of+epithelial+cell+growth.">Human KGF is FGF-related with properties of a paracrine effector of epithelial cell growth.</a> Science. 245 (4919), 752-755 (1989).</li></ol>

The successful differentiation of hPSCs into pancreatic &#946;-cells depends on optimizing all aspects of routine culturing and passage of the selected hPSCs. This includes ensuring that the cell line has a normal karyotype, is negative for mycoplasma infection, and is free of plasmid or viral vector genomes. Furthermore, when using hiPSCs, it is important to avoid using the earliest passage which are still undergoing reprogramming, for pilot experiments. These experiments should be conducted on a small scale to identify...

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the unique ability to differentiate into various cell types, making them a viable alternative to human pancreatic &#946;-cells1. These hPSCs are categorized into two types: embryonic stem cells (hESCs), derived from the blastocyst2, and induced pluripotent cells (hiPSCs), generated by reprogramming somatic cells directly3. The development of techniques to differentiate hPSCs into &#946;-cells, has important implications for both fundamental research and clinical practice1,4. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting &#62;400 million people worldwide and results from the inability of the body to regulate glycemia due to malfunction or loss of pancreatic &#946;-cells5. The limited availability of pancreatic islet cells for transplantation has hindered the development of cell replacement therapies for diabetes2,4,6,7. The ability to generate glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells using hPSCs serves as a useful cellular model for studying human islet development and function. It can also be used to test potential therapeutic candidates for diabetes treatment in a controlled environment. Moreover, hPSCs have the potential to produce pancreatic islet cells that are genetically identical to the patient, reducing the risk of immune rejection after transplantation2,4,7.
In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the refinement of hPSC culture and differentiation protocols, resulting in increased efficiency and reproducibility of the differentiation process toward generating pancreatic &#946;-cells8,9.
The following protocol outlines the essential stages of directed differentiation of pancreatic &#946;-cells. It involves the regulation of specific cell signaling pathways at distinct time points. It is based on the protocol developed by Sui L. et al.10 (2018) for the generation of hPSCs into pancreatic &#946;-cells. The protocol was adjusted to recent updates from Sui L. et al.11 (2021), as the latest research emphasizes the significance of using aphidicolin (APH) treatment to enhance the differentiation of &#946;-cells. The current protocol includes the addition of APH to the medium during the later stages of the process. Furthermore, modifications have been made to the composition of the medium during the early stages of differentiation compared to the initial protocol. A notable change is the addition of Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) on Day 6 and continuing until Day 8. The keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is introduced from day 6 to day 8, which slightly differs from the initial protocol10, where KGF was not included in the stage 4 medium.
The first and essential step in the generation of &#946;-cell-like cells is the directed differentiation of hPSCs into definitive endoderm (DE), a primitive germ layer that gives rise to the epithelial lining of various organs, including the pancreas. After the formation of DE, the cells undergo differentiation into the primitive gut tube, which is followed by the specification of the posterior foregut fate. The posterior foregut then develops into pancreatic progenitor cells, which have the potential to differentiate into all cell types of the pancreas, including the endocrine and exocrine cells. The subsequent stage in the process involves pancreatic endocrine progenitors giving rise to the hormone-secreting cells found in the islets of Langerhans. In the end, the differentiation process reaches its final stage by producing fully functional pancreatic &#946;-cell like cells9,10. It is important to note that this process is complex and often requires optimization of the culture conditions, such as specific growth factors and extracellular matrix components, to improve the efficiency and specificity of differentiation9,10. Furthermore, generating functional &#946;-cell like cells from hPSCs in vitro is still a major challenge. Ongoing research focuses on improving differentiation protocols and enhancing the maturation and function of the resulting &#946;-cells9.
In this protocol, the use of gentle cell dissociation during the culture and passage of hPSCs is essential to maintain cell viability and pluripotency, significantly improving the efficiency of differentiation into pancreatic &#946;-cells. Additionally, each stage-specific medium has been meticulously optimized following the protocol developed by Sui L. et al.10 to promote a high yield of insulin-secreting cells in clusters that closely resemble the human islet.

<table><tbody><tr><td>1.5 mL TubeOne Microcentrifuge Tube</td><td>Starlabs</td><td>S1615-5500</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6-well Cell culture plate</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>165218</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AggreWell 400 6-well plate&amp;nbsp;</td><td>STEMCELL Technologies</td><td>34425</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Glucagon&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Sigma-aldrich</td><td>G2654-100UL</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Insulin&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Dako</td><td>A0564</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-NKX6.1</td><td>Novus Biologicals</td><td>NBP1-49672SS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-PDX1&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Abcam</td><td>ab84987</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Aphidicolin</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>A4487</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>B-27 Supplement (50X), serum free&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>17504044</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bovine Serum Albumin, fatty acid free</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>A3803-100G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Calcium chloride dihydrate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>C3306</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Calcium/Magnesium free D-PBS</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>14190144</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cyclopamine-KAAD</td><td>Calbiochem</td><td>239804</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>D-(+)-Glucose,BioXtra</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>G7528</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Disodium hydrogen phosphate, anhydrous</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>94046-100ML-</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DMEM plus GlutaMAX</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>10566016</td><td>For Washing Medium 2: DMEM plus GlutaMAX 1% PS.&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>DMEM/F-12 (Dulbecco&#039;s Modified Eagle Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12)</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>10565-018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Epredi SuperFrost Plus Adhesion slides</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>10149870</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ethanol</td><td>VWR</td><td>20821.33</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>10270098</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Gamma-Secretase Inhibitor XX</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>J64904</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Geltrex LDEV-Free Reduced Growth Factor Basement</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>A1413302</td><td>Geltrex 1:1 into cold DMEM/F-12 medium to provide a final dilution of 1:100.</td></tr><tr><td>Goat Anti-Guinea pig, Alexa Fluor 555</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>A-21435</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Goat Anti-Guinea pig, Alexa Fluor 647</td><td>Abcam</td><td>ab150187</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Goat anti-Mouse Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 633</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>A-21052</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Goat anti-Rabbit IgG Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 568</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>A-11011</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heparin</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>H3149</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>HEPES buffer</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>H3375-500G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hoechst 33342, Trihydrochloride</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>H1399</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Human FGF-7 (KGF) Recombinant Protein</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>PHG0094</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hydrogen chloride</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>295426</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ImmEdge Hydrophobic Barrier PAP Pen</td><td>Agar Scientific</td><td>AGG4582</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>LDN193189</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>SML0559-5MG</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Magnesium chloride hexahydrate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>M9272-500G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>OCT Compound 118 mL</td><td>Agar Scientific</td><td>AGR1180</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PBS Tablets, Phosphate Buffered Saline, Fisher BioReagents</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>7647-14-5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Penicillin-Streptomycin (PS)</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific,</td><td>15070-063</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Potassium chloride</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>7447-40-7</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Recombinant Human EGF Protein</td><td>R&amp;amp;D Systems</td><td>236-EG-200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rectangular cover glasses, 22&amp;times;50 mm</td><td>VWR</td><td>631-0137</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RepSox (Hydrochloride)</td><td>STEMCELL Technologies</td><td>72394</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RPMI 1640 Medium, GlutaMAX Supplement&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>61870036</td><td>For Washing Medium 1: RPMI 1640 plus GlutaMAX 1% PS.</td></tr><tr><td>Shandon Immu-mount</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>9990402</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium bicarbonate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>S6014-500G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium chloride</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>S3014</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium dihydrogen phosphate anhydrous</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>7558-80-7</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>STEMdiff Endoderm&amp;nbsp;</td><td>STEMCELL Technologies</td><td>5110</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>StemFlex Medium</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>A3349401</td><td>Thaw the StemFlex Supplement overnight at 4&amp;deg;C, transfer any residual liquid of the supplement bottle to StemFlex Basal Medium.</td></tr><tr><td>Stemolecule All-Trans Retinoic Acid</td><td>Reprocell</td><td>04-0021&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Thyroid Tormone 3 (T3)</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>T6397</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Trypan Blue Solution, 0.4%</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>15250061</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TrypL Express Enzyme (1X)</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>12604013</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TWEEN 20</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>P2287-500ML</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ultra-Low Adherent Plate for Suspension Culture</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>38071</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>UltraPure DNase/RNase-Free Distilled Water</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>10977015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Y-27632 (Dihydrochloride)&amp;nbsp;</td><td>STEMCELL Technologies</td><td>72302</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Zinc Sulfate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Z4750</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

optimized protocol for generating functional pancreatic insulin-secreting cells from human pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can differentiate into any kind of cell, making them an excellent alternative source of human pancreatic &#946;-cells. hPSCs can either be embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from the blastocyst or induced pluripotent cells (hiPSCs) generated directly from somatic cells using a reprogramming process. Here a video-based protocol is presented to outline the optimal culture and passage conditions for hPSCs, prior to their differentiation and subsequent generation of insulin-producing pancreatic cells. This methodology follows the six-stage process for &#946;-cell directed differentiation, wherein hPSCs differentiate into definitive endoderm (DE), primitive gut tube, posterior foregut fate, pancreatic progenitors, pancreatic endocrine progenitors, and ultimately pancreatic &#946;-cells. It is noteworthy that this differentiation methodology takes a period of 27 days to generate human pancreatic &#946;-cells. The potential of insulin secretion was evaluated through two experiments, which included immunostaining and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

The protocol described in this paper offers a highly efficient approach for differentiating &#946;-like cells from hPSCs10. This process utilizes a 2D culture system that is easily scalable, enabling its use in various experimental settings, such as learning differentiation, smaller projects and laboratories, and pilot tests to assess the potential of an iPSC line for differentiation.
It is essential to characterize the functional properties of differentiated &#946;-cel...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in β-Cells Differentiation from Pluripotent Stem Cells at JoVE.com

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in &#946;-Cells Differentiation from Pluripotent Stem Cells

This article presents a protocol for directed differentiation and functional analysis of &#946;-cell like cells. We describe optimal culture conditions and passages for human pluripotent stem cells before generating insulin-producing pancreatic cells. The six-stage differentiation progresses from definitive endoderm formation to functional &#946;-cell like cells secreting insulin in response to glucose.

Optimized Protocol for Generating Functional Pancreatic Insulin-secreting Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can differentiate into any kind of cell, making them an excellent alternative source of human pancreatic ...

optimized-protocol-for-generating-functional-pancreatic-insulin

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

1.7K Views.  Cell Biology and Functional Genomics. Het bereiken van een hoge en consistente efficiëntie in het differentiatieproces voor het omzetten van pluripotente stamcellen in menselijke bètacellen is een opmerkelijke uitdaging. Deze uitdaging wordt beïnvloed door de precisie en de consistentie waarmee de onderzoeker het protocol volgt. Bovendien is de hoeveelheid bètacellen die in elk experiment wordt verkregen nogal variabel, wat kan resulteren in een verminderde functie van bètacellen in meerdere experimenten.In het kader ...

Video: Auteur in de schijnwerpers: vooruitgang en uitdagingen in differentiatie van β-cellen van pluripotente stamcellen

A Quick and Efficient Method for the Purification of Endoderm Cells Generated from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

The differentiation capabilities of pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) allow a potential therapeutic application for cell replacement therapies. Terminally differentiated cell types could be used for the treatment of various degenerative diseases. In vitro differentiation of these cells towards tissues of the lung, liver and pancreas requires as a first step the generation of definitive endodermal cells. This step is rate-limiting for further differentiation towards terminally matured cell types such as insulin-producing beta cells, hepatocytes or other endoderm-derived cell types. Cells that are committed towards the endoderm lineage highly express a multitude of transcription factors such as FOXA2, SOX17, HNF1B, members of the GATA family, and the surface receptor CXCR4. However, differentiation protocols are rarely 100% efficient. Here, we describe a method for the purification of a CXCR4+ cell population after differentiation into the DE by using magnetic microbeads. This purification additionally removes cells of unwanted lineages. The gentle purification method is quick and reliable and might be used to improve downstream applications and differentiations.

Here, we describe a method for the purification of differentiated human embryonic stem cells that are committed towards the definitive endoderm for the improvement of downstream applications and further differentiations.

The differentiation capabilities of pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) allow a potential therapeutic application for cell ...

Developmental Biology

Efficient Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells to NKX6-1+ Pancreatic Progenitors

Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to self renew and differentiate to multiple lineages, making them an attractive source for the generation of pancreatic progenitor cells that can be used for the study of and future treatment of diabetes. This article outlines a four-stage differentiation protocol designed to generate pancreatic progenitor cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This protocol can be applied to a number of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines. The approach taken to generate pancreatic progenitor cells is to differentiate hESCs to accurately model key stages of pancreatic development. This begins with the induction of the definitive endoderm, which is achieved by culturing the cells in the presence of Activin A, basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) and CHIR990210. Further differentiation and patterning with Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 (FGF10) and Dorsomorphin generates cells resembling the posterior foregut. The addition of Retinoic Acid, NOGGIN, SANT-1 and FGF10 differentiates posterior foregut cells into cells characteristic of pancreatic endoderm. Finally, the combination of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Nicotinamide and NOGGIN leads to the efficient generation of PDX1+/NKX6-1+ cells. Flow cytometry is performed to confirm the expression of specific markers at key stages of pancreatic development. The PDX1+/NKX6-1+ pancreatic progenitors at the end of stage 4 are capable of generating mature &#946; cells upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice and can be further differentiated to generate insulin-producing cells in vitro. Thus, the efficient generation of PDX1+/NKX6-1+ pancreatic progenitors, as demonstrated in this protocol, is of great importance as it provides a platform to study human pancreatic development in vitro and provides a source of cells with the potential of differentiating to &#946; cells that could eventually be used for the treatment of diabetes.

Efficient Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells to NKX6-1+ Pancreatic Progenitors

Here we describe a 4-stage protocol to differentiate human embryonic stem cells to NKX6-1+ pancreatic progenitors in vitro. This protocol can be applied to a variety of human pluripotent stem cell lines.

Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to self renew and differentiate to multiple lineages, making them an attractive source for the generation of ...

Isolation, Culture, and Imaging of Human Fetal Pancreatic Cell Clusters

For almost 30 years, scientists have demonstrated that human fetal ICCs transplanted under the kidney capsule of nude mice matured into functioning endocrine cells, as evidenced by a significant increase in circulating human C-peptide following glucose stimulation1-9. However in vitro, genesis of insulin producing cells from human fetal ICCs is low10; results reminiscent of recent experiments performed with human embryonic stem cells (hESC), a renewable source of cells that hold great promise as a potential therapeutic treatment for type 1 diabetes. Like ICCs, transplantation of partially differentiated hESC generate glucose responsive, insulin producing cells, but in vitro genesis of insulin producing cells from hESC is much less robust11-17. A complete understanding of the factors that influence the growth and differentiation of endocrine precursor cells will likely require data generated from both ICCs and hESC. While a number of protocols exist to generate insulin producing cells from hESC in vitro11-22, far fewer exist for ICCs10,23,24. Part of that discrepancy likely comes from the difficulty of working with human fetal pancreas. Towards that end, we have continued to build upon existing methods to isolate fetal islets from human pancreases with gestational ages ranging from 12 to 23 weeks, grow the cells as a monolayer or in suspension, and image for cell proliferation, pancreatic markers and human hormones including glucagon and C-peptide. ICCs generated by the protocol described below result in C-peptide release after transplantation under the kidney capsule of nude mice that are similar to C-peptide levels obtained by transplantation of fresh tissue6. Although the examples presented here focus upon the pancreatic endoderm proliferation and &#946;&#160;cell genesis, the protocol can be employed to study other aspects of pancreatic development, including exocrine, ductal, and other hormone producing cells.

A protocol to isolate, culture, and image islet cell clusters (ICCs) derived from human fetal pancreatic cells is described.&#160; The method details the steps necessary to generate ICCs from tissue, culture as monolayers or in suspension as aggregates, and image for markers of proliferation and pancreatic cell fate decisions.

For almost 30 years, scientists have demonstrated that human fetal ICCs transplanted under the kidney capsule of nude mice matured into functioning ...

Medicine

Generation of Scaffold-free, Three-dimensional Insulin Expressing Pancreatoids from Mouse Pancreatic Progenitors In Vitro

The pancreas is a complex organ composed of many different cell types that work together to regulate blood glucose homeostasis and digestion. These cell types include enzyme-secreting acinar cells, an arborized ductal system responsible for the transportation of enzymes to the gut, and hormone-producing endocrine cells. 
Endocrine beta-cells are the sole cell type in the body that produce insulin to lower blood glucose levels. Diabetes, a disease characterized by a loss or the dysfunction of beta-cells, is reaching epidemic proportions. Thus, it is essential to establish protocols to investigate beta-cell development that can be used for screening purposes to derive the drug and cell-based therapeutics. While the experimental investigation of mouse development is essential, in vivo studies are laborious and time-consuming. Cultured cells provide a more convenient platform for screening; however, they are unable to maintain the cellular diversity, architectural organization, and cellular interactions found in vivo. Thus, it is essential to develop new tools to investigate pancreatic organogenesis and physiology.
Pancreatic epithelial cells develop in the close association with mesenchyme from the onset of organogenesis as cells organize and differentiate into the complex, physiologically competent adult organ. The pancreatic mesenchyme provides important signals for the endocrine development, many of which are not well understood yet, thus difficult to recapitulate during the in vitro culture. Here, we describe a protocol to culture three-dimensional, cellular complex mouse organoids that retain mesenchyme, termed pancreatoids. The e10.5 murine pancreatic bud is dissected, dissociated, and cultured in a scaffold-free environment. These floating cells self-assemble with mesenchyme enveloping the developing pancreatoid and a robust number of endocrine beta-cells developing along with the acinar and the duct cells. This system can be used to study the cell fate determination, structural organization, and morphogenesis, cell-cell interactions during organogenesis, or for the drug, small molecule, or genetic screening.

Generation of Scaffold-free, Three-dimensional Insulin Expressing Pancreatoids from Mouse Pancreatic Progenitors In Vitro

Here, we present a protocol to generate insulin expressing 3D murine pancreatoids from free-floating e10.5 dissociated pancreatic progenitors and the associated mesenchyme.

The pancreas is a complex organ composed of many different cell types that work together to regulate blood glucose homeostasis and digestion. These cell ...

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived pancreatic cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine and a platform to study human developmental processes. Stepwise directed differentiation that recapitulates developmental processes is one of the major ways to generate pancreatic cells including pancreas/duodenum homeobox protein 1+ (PDX1+) pancreatic progenitor cells. Conventional protocols initiate the differentiation with small colonies shortly after the passage. However, in the state of colonies or aggregates, cells are prone to heterogeneities, which might hamper the differentiation to PDX1+ cells. Here, we present a detailed protocol to differentiate hPSCs into PDX1+ cells. The protocol consists of four steps and initiates the differentiation by seeding dissociated single cells. The induction of SOX17+ definitive endoderm cells was followed by the expression of two primitive gut tube markers, HNF1&#946; and HNF4&#945;, and eventual differentiation into PDX1+ cells. The present protocol provides easy handling and may improve and stabilize the differentiation efficiency of some hPSC lines that were previously found to differentiate inefficiently into endodermal lineages or PDX1+ cells.

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Here, we present a detailed protocol to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into pancreas/duodenum homeobox protein 1+ (PDX1+) cells for the generation of pancreatic lineages based on the non-colony type monolayer growth of dissociated single cells. This method is suitable for producing homogenous hPSC-derived cells, genetic manipulation and screening.

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived pancreatic cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine and a platform to study human ...

Reprogramming PDAC and Pancreatic Cells into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Reprogramming Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Pluripotency

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using transcription factors has been achieved from almost any differentiated cell type and has proved highly valuable for research and clinical applications. Interestingly, iPSC reprogramming of cancer cells, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), has been shown to revert the invasive PDAC phenotype and override the cancer epigenome. The differentiation of PDAC-derived iPSCs can recapitulate PDAC progression from its early pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) precursor, revealing the molecular and cellular changes that occur early during PDAC progression. Therefore, PDAC-derived iPSCs can be used to model the earliest stages of PDAC for the discovery of early-detection diagnostic markers. This is particularly important for PDAC patients, who are typically diagnosed at the late metastatic stages due to a lack of reliable biomarkers for the earlier PanIN stages. However, reprogramming cancer cell lines, including PDAC, into pluripotency remains challenging, labor-intensive, and highly variable between different lines. Here, we describe a more consistent protocol for generating iPSCs from various human PDAC cell lines using bicistronic lentiviral vectors. The resulting iPSC lines are stable, showing no dependence on the exogenous expression of reprogramming factors or inducible drugs. Overall, this protocol facilitates the generation of a wide range of PDAC-derived iPSCs, which is essential for discovering early biomarkers that are more specific and representative of PDAC cases.

Author Spotlight: Reprogramming Cancer Cells to iPSCs to Study Disease Progression and Treatment Targets

The present protocol describes the reprogramming of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We provide an optimized and detailed, step-by-step procedure, from preparing lentivirus to establishing stable iPSC lines.

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using transcription factors has been achieved from almost any differentiated cell type and has ...

Cancer Research

Efficient Generation and Editing of Feeder-free IPSCs from Human Pancreatic Cells Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted for research in regenerative medicine and are currently in clinical trials for eye diseases, diabetes, heart diseases, and other disorders. The potential to differentiate into specialized cell types coupled with the recent advances in genome editing technologies including the CRISPR/Cas system have provided additional opportunities for tailoring the genome of iPSC for varied applications including disease modeling, gene therapy, and biasing pathways of differentiation, to name a few. Among the available editing technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes has emerged as a tool of choice for site-specific editing of the eukaryotic genome. The CRISPRs are easily accessible, inexpensive, and highly efficient in engineering targeted edits. The system requires a Cas9 nuclease and a guide sequence (20-mer) specific to the genomic target abutting a 3-nucleotide &#34;NGG&#34; protospacer-adjacent-motif (PAM) for targeting Cas9 to the desired genomic locus, alongside a universal Cas9 binding tracer RNA (together called single guide RNA or sgRNA). Here we present a step-by-step protocol for efficient generation of feeder-independent and footprint-free iPSC and describe methodologies for genome editing of iPSC using the Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. The genome editing protocol is effective and can be easily multiplexed by pre-complexing sgRNAs for more than one target with the Cas9 protein and simultaneously delivering into the cells. Finally, we describe a simplified approach for identification and characterization of iPSCs with desired edits. Taken together, the outlined strategies are expected to streamline generation and editing of iPSC for manifold applications.

This protocol describes in detail the generation of footprint-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human pancreatic cells in feeder-free conditions, followed by editing using CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins and characterization of the modified single-cell clones.

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted ...

Bioengineering

Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Pancreatic Beta-Cell Precursors in a 2D Culture System

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are an excellent tool for studying early pancreatic development and investigating the genetic contributors to diabetes. hPSC-derived insulin-secreting cells can be generated for cell therapy and disease modeling,&#160;however,&#160;with limited efficiency and functional properties. hPSC-derived pancreatic progenitors that are precursors to beta cells and other endocrine cells, when co-express the two transcription factors PDX1 and NKX6.1, specify the progenitors to functional, insulin-secreting beta cells both in vitro and in vivo. hPSC-derived pancreatic progenitors are currently used for cell therapy in type 1 diabetes patients as part of clinical trials. However, current procedures do not generate a high proportion of NKX6.1 and pancreatic progenitors, leading to co-generation of non-functional endocrine cells and few glucose-responsive, insulin-secreting cells. This work thus developed an enhanced protocol for generating hPSC-derived pancreatic progenitors that maximize the co-expression of PDX1 and NKX6.1 in a 2D monolayer. The factors such as cell density, availability of fresh matrix, and dissociation of hPSC-derived endodermal cells are modulated that augmented PDX1 and NKX6.1 levels in the generated pancreatic progenitors and minimized commitment to alternate hepatic lineage. The study highlights that manipulating the cell&#39;s physical environment during in vitro differentiation can impact lineage specification and gene expression. Therefore, the current optimized protocol facilitates the scalable generation of PDX1 and NKX6.1 co-expressing progenitors for cell therapy and disease modeling.

The present protocol describes an enhanced method to increase the co-expression of PDX1 and NKX6.1 transcription factors in pancreatic progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in planar monolayers. This is achieved by replenishing the fresh matrix, manipulating cell density, and dissociating the endodermal cells.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are an excellent tool for studying early pancreatic development and investigating the genetic contributors to ...

Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Insulin-Producing Islet Clusters

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into insulin-secreting beta cells provides material for investigating beta cell function and diabetes treatment. However, challenges remain in obtaining stem cell-derived beta cells that adequately mimic native human beta cells. Building upon previous studies, hPSC-derived islet cells have been generated to create a protocol with improved differentiation outcomes and consistency. The protocol described here utilizes a pancreatic progenitor kit during Stages 1-4, followed by a protocol modified from a paper previously published in 2014 (termed "R-protocol" hereafter) during Stages 5-7. Detailed procedures for using the pancreatic progenitor kit and 400 &#181;m diameter microwell plates to generate pancreatic progenitor clusters, R-protocol for endocrine differentiation in a 96-well static suspension format, and in vitro characterization and functional evaluation of hPSC-derived islets, are included. The complete protocol takes 1 week for initial hPSC expansion followed by ~5 weeks to obtain insulin-producing hPSC islets. Personnel with basic stem cell culture techniques and training in biological assays can reproduce this protocol.

The differentiation of stem cells into islet cells provides an alternative solution to conventional diabetes treatment and disease modeling. We describe a detailed stem cell culture protocol that combines a commercial differentiation kit with a previously validated method to aid in producing insulin-secreting, stem cell-derived islets in a dish.

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into insulin-secreting beta cells provides material for investigating beta cell function and ...

In vitro Induction of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Toward Pancreatic Lineages

As of 2000, the success of pancreatic islet transplantation using the Edmonton protocol to treat type I diabetes mellitus still faced some obstacles. These include the limited number of cadaveric pancreas donors and the long-term use of immunosuppressants. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered to be a potential candidate as an alternative source of islet-like cell generation. Our previous reports have successfully illustrated the establishment of induction protocols for differentiating human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) to insulin-producing cells (IPCs). However, the induction efficiency varied greatly. In this paper, we demonstrate the comparison of hDPSCs pancreatic induction efficiency via integrative (microenvironmental and genetic manipulation) and non-integrative (microenvironmental manipulation) induction protocols for delivering hDPSC-derived IPCs (hDPSC-IPCs). The results suggest distinct induction efficiency for both the induction approaches in terms of 3-dimensional colony structure, yield, pancreatic mRNA markers, and functional property upon multi-dosage glucose challenge. These findings will support the future establishment of a clinically applicable IPCs and pancreatic lineage production platform.

In vitro Induction of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Toward Pancreatic Lineages

This protocol presents a comparison between two different induction protocols for differentiating human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) toward pancreatic lineages in vitro: the integrative protocol and the non-integrative protocol. The integrative protocol generates more insulin producing cells (IPCs).

As of 2000, the success of pancreatic islet transplantation using the Edmonton protocol to treat type I diabetes mellitus still faced some obstacles. ...

Optimized Protocol for Generating Functional Pancreatic Insulin-secreting Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

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